Frigging Tom Cruise...

[Crankie Avalon]

...I was flipping through the HBO channels on my cable (HBO, HBO2, Signature, Zone, etc.) this weekend and "The Last Samurai" was starting so I tried watching it. I didn't hang in very long--boy, this Tom Cruise is awful. An anti-talent. I couldn't watch that "Eyes Wide Shut" nonsense, either. Maybe these two movies as a whole were bad, anyway, but from the portions of them I could sit through, it seemed like the biggest reason they were bad were because of Tom Cruise's presence in them. Has he ever made a convincing connection to a fellow actor onscreen? Anyway, there are plenty of actors who are good enough to keep me watching even when the rest of the movie is weak.

This guy should be another Rob Lowe, but instead he gets to work with people like Kubrick and Scorsese. He tries hard (so hard you're conscious of all his trying), but he has no real "presence." No "authority." There is so little to this guy that no one can even do an impersonation of him the way they do of Brando or DeNiro or Nicholson's performances. Speaking of Nicholson, once I'd had enough of "The Last Samurai" I turned off the TV and put "About Schmidt" into the DVD player. I'd never seen it, before. Nice movie, and afterwards I couldn't help imagining how awful a job a twenty-five years older version of Tom Cruise would have done in the role (and God help us, the guy might still be making movies twenty-five years from now. He's been around--for some unfathomable reason--for twenty-five years, already). Can you imagine what kind of roles an old Tom Cruise will play?

Later that night I also watched "Ed Wood" on DVD. Can you imagine Tom Cruise in any role where he had to be funny? Or any Johhny Depp role, period? Oy.

I just don't get this Tom Cruise guy's career--and especially why he sometimes gets to work with prestige names--at all.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. you got me on that

On points, the guy is very attractive, but in actuality, yeeeeecccch. And he can't act for shit. Tell you what, though, Eric MacCormack of "Will and Grace" can really imitate him well. He just focuses on the vapidity and he has him.

[Crankie Avalon]

11. I've never seen that show...

...I mostly watch movies, news, and the Sopranos on TV, but I'd love to see the imitation you're talking about. I just can't imagine an imitation of him, unless it's to dance around in one's underwear to that Bob Seger song like he did in "Risky Business."

[Connie_Corleone]

2. The only movies I liked him in were...

Rain Man and Born on the Fourth of July.

I didn't like the ending in The Last Samurai. I won't describe the ending for those who want to watch it.

Eyes Wide Shut had my eyes shut about halfway thru it.

[Ekirh]

6. The Real reason to watch The Last Samurai

Is for the acting of Ken Wantabe...

I'm not going to spoil the ending either... but... your right.. it wasn't good... I enjoyed the movie as a whole though.

[Shoeempress]

3. May I second your opinion. Cruise is so wooden. And Johnny Depp,

Great actor and so sexy.

[Cocoa]

4. he was good in "Collateral"

and pretty much perfect in "Jerry McGuire" which wasn't a very good movie imo.

But yeah, I recall thinking in a few other of his movies that Cruise was the reason the movie was bad. Kevin Costner too.

[Kire]

9. I agree about "Collateral"

but not "perfect in Jerry Maguire", it was good, but not perfect

[Maven]

19. Costner's success is FAR MORE of a mystery.

I just don't understand it. HE CAN'T ACT. And he doesn't even TRY. He's got the same tone of voice for 2 hours in every movie he's in. And he's not attractive AT ALL. Who keeps giving this no-talent any roles?

[Cocoa]

25. you didn't like his "Robin Hood?"

:-)

[Crankie Avalon]

21. Haven't seen "Collateral"...

...maybe I'll catch it when HBO starts showing it.

I didn't like "Jerry McGuire," though I'm glad you appreciated it.

[Bouncy Ball]

5. He's the same guy in every flick

He's just Tom Cruise. Same with Julia Roberts--same mannerisms, same laugh, same everything. They just play themselves in different movies.

Which is not acting.

[hangemhigh]

18. Cruise and Roberts=Talentless Hacks. nt

[St. Jarvitude]

46. That's not always a bad thing

Especially if the actor is Woody Allen. :)

He was pretty open about playing himself in his movies, and they all (for the most part) turned out great. I wouldn't call it "acting", but I wouldn't say it was bad, either.

[Divernan]

7. Nicole, is that you?

NT

[Crankie Avalon]

13. Heh...

...:D

[fertilizeonarbusto]

14. Yeah, she can actually act n/t

[AlCzervik]

8. no i can't imagine him any role

where he actually had to act. Speaking of people i don't get, Cameron diaz was on "Inside the actors studio" last night, aside from being John Malkovich does she really have the body of work to be on that? I thought it was bad when they had Will Smith on but last night was even worse.

[truthseeker1]

10. I love Tom Cruise

I'm sure there will be the usual piling on here at DU (and the usual insinuation that if you like something that's mainstream or not all that intellectual, then you must be part of the ignorant masses), but I for one enjoy Cruise and I'm not embarrassed to say so. Sure, he's somewhat limited, but I almost always enjoy watching his movies. It's a different experience from watching other more seasoned or versatile actors, but he's got a charm that's endearing and.....probably enduring too. I hope he is around in 25 years and still making movies loved by many. I just watched Collateral the other night and thought it was good and he was good in it. It was interesting to watch him play the role of the bad guy, since so often he plays the good guy. And he played it well.

It always amazes me how much different people's tastes are - in everything - movies, music, art - and how you think everyone should love or hate something - you just can't IMAGINE someone liking something you hate or anyone hating something you love - but I'm constantly reminded of the old adage....one person's junk is another person's treasure. I'm sorry you find Cruise to be junk, but I find him to be a treasure :) To each his own.

[Crankie Avalon]

16. I'm glad you enjoy him...

...apparently you are not alone since he made the transition from teen movies to what he is doing today many years later and is still going strong. If anything, I'm in the minority.

I'm just saying I still don't get it, though. :D

[redqueen]

20. Me too... I like his work.

We must both have bad taste. ;)

[Connie_Corleone]

26. Even though...

I don't think he's much of an actor, I still end up watching his movies for some reason. I think it's because I like looking at him.

[mark11727]

42. Some of my favorite Cruise films

are when he plays a GUY IN CONFLICT, for example...

Minority Report

Jerry McQuire

Vanilla Sky

Have not yet seen Collateral, but it's on the list.

[Raster]

12. I liked Last Sam. except for tom. And you're right, you get the feeling

he's trying too hard to act. A good actor becomes the character and situation. The better the actor, the less you sense they're acting.

Maybe Tom's next role should be a closeted gay man in hollywood struggling with trying to maintain his faux-straight, leading man persona while dealing with unrequited love and sexuality issues and at the same time trying to fend off the loonies that permeate his life because of the bizarre cult he belongs to. Maybe that won't be such a stretch.

[DelawareValleyDem]

He's had his moments, but I'm not his biggest fan

I do think there's something wrong when a guy like him gets nominated for Oscar more often the someone like Steve Buscemi

[DrWeird]

15. Speaking of Tom Cruise, notice anything in this photo?

Tom, Nicole, and their son Connor.

[sui generis]

24. he's shorter than Nicole?

[ronnykmarshall]

35. That's really Gary Coleman?

[DrWeird]

49. That's what I thought at first.

Turns out it's their kid. Tom and Nicole's.

Hmmm.

[Samurai_Writer]

52. Their kids are adopted (NT)

[Quakerfriend]

17. I'm in total agreement with you on Cruise!

I think that the reason he gets rolls is because he is extremely driven. I know that he worked with Tony Robinson for several yrs.

For the life of me I can't really figure out why anyone finds him handsome, sexy or anything at all. And, that body- Ugh!
What ever happened to the Cary Grants and Paul Newmans of the film world.

And, BTW, My sister has worked with him and she tells me he is very short- @ 5'6".

[MrMonk]

30. 5' 6" is a very good height

There are some real stallions who are 5'6".

[ET Awful]

22. Scientology. Does wonders for an actors career. Somehow they

get more roles, but they lose any talent they had.

[sui generis]

23. it was a sickening apologia, and completely indulgent

I didn't like the maudlin STORY. And after that I didn't like the self-indulgent acting.

And another thing, I would have bought off on it, just barely, if the actor playing his character had been a bit more scarred, grizzled and true to life.

Here's a test: put his B&W photos up next to some real civil war soldiers and see what pops out at you. You got it: he doesn't look like a civil war soldier. DUh!

[WilliamPitt]

27. Born on the Fourth of July

I forgive him all his craptacular work because of the way he played Ron Kovic in that film. It was a haunting.

[henslee]

36. When's last time you seen it? I just saw it. He really chews the scenery.

I didn't think it the first time.

[WilliamPitt]

37. Chews the scenery?

I don't know what that means.

I've seen in a couple of times in the last month or so, actually. UPN ran it several times.

[henslee]

54. chew the scenery....

Chew (up the) scenery means 'to act melodramatically; overact'. Usually, it's in the context of a play or movie, but it can refer to an aunt of yours who is a frustrated actress. The connotation, either positive or negative, depends on whether the overacting is appropriate to the role or occasion. Here's a recent review from the Topeka Capital-Journal: "Jeff Montague was surely Captain Hook in another life. He minces and chortles, preens and roars and chews the scenery. He is wonderful. It is the best work I have ever seen him do. It is, most likely, the most fun he has ever had on stage --- and it shows." And here's a review of the 1994 film Interview With a Vampire: "While Tom Cruise chews the scenery as the irredeemably evil vampire Lestat, Pitt quietly infuses the picture with a powerful melancholy."

[GreenArrow]

28. this really says it all about Tom Cruise:

"There is so little to this guy that no one can even do an impersonation of him the way they do of Brando or DeNiro or Nicholson's performances."

He's the thespian version of those white-label generic items that used to be in stores 15 or 20 years ago -- a plain white label with the single word "Actor" emblazoned across it in block letters.

[KurtNYC]

29. Saki!

About the time he was yelling for saki in that movie, I was thinking how about one round for the audience while we are at it. Ugh.

[underpants]

31. You should see his movie about the self absorbed a-hole who falls in love

and then ruins it and they break up but then learns to be himself ,you know, find out who he really is and he gets back with the girl and the fall in love. I can't remember the name of that one but it is good you should see it.

[truthseeker1]

32. Cocktail?

with Elizabeth Shue?

[underpants]

38. YES!

and Days of Thunder and The Last Samurai and Jerry Maguire and Far and Away and Rain Man and The Color of Money and Top Gun and All the Right Moves

[Crankie Avalon]

33. Are you pulling my leg?

I haven't seen the movie, so I honestly can't tell. :D

[underpants]

39. You haven't seen Cocktail?

and Days of Thunder and The Last Samurai and Jerry Maguire and Far and Away and Rain Man and The Color of Money and Top Gun and All the Right Moves

[Crankie Avalon]

44. Heeheeheehee...

...I'm literally giggling just like that ("heeheehee") right now. :7

[Worst Username Ever]

40. I've seen that one!

Have you seen the one where this guy enters into this situation that he is not familiar with, a real fish out of water, but overocmes the adversity with his new found skills and talents? Amazing!

[underpants]

47. That is my favorite kind of movie

A man....taken out of his element and forced to adapt-seriously it is.

I was making fun of the fact that Cruise just seems to make the same movie over and over. Aside from a few newer ones he was on a streak of making the exact same movie over and over for several years. See my posts just above this one.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

51. Awesome....

hehehehehehehe

[ronnykmarshall]

34. To quote Ednia Monsoon (AB FAB):

P.R., sweetie, P.R.!!

[msgadget]

41. Have you seen him SPRINT??

The man can run and it must be in his contract that he show off this skill in almost every skill? And, how can you forget his expertise at the Intense Eye Lock??

[underpants]

48. LOL-my wife and I watched Galaxy Quest before we saw MI-2

The scene were Tim Allen is doing his best Capt. Kirk running and rolling and leaning up against a rock....then we went and saw Mission Impossible II-Cruise had a scene where he was running and rolling and trying to get into the bad guys lair. My wife and I were laughing so loud we got some stares shot our way (REAL Intense Eye Lock mind you). It was like we were watching another movie than everyone else in the theater.


Man for a while there every movie my wife (girlfriend then) saw in a theater really sucked.

[MadHound]

43. Cruise is OK, but he is playing himself in virtually every role

Which makes it horribly predictable to watch him in a movie, you always know what the character is like, Cruise.

Sometimes he breaks out of this, but that is rare. The last time I can remember this happening was when he played Kovic in Fourth of July. Cruise broke out of himself long enough to put down some great acting on film. But then he went right back to his stereotypical self.

I agree with you about the Last Samurai, it was a piece of drek. But I don't fault just Cruise with this one, I think it stunk from initial idea(stolen from Shogun) to script, to acting. About the only thing that was good about the flick was the cinematography.

[peekaloo]

45. He was amusing as the "he-man woman hater" in Magnolia.

I think he was sportin' Mark Wahlberg's prosthetic from Boogie Nights in that clothes changing scene.

[jackelope72]

50. Tom Cruise did a fine job in Magnolia

right up until the "deathbed" scene, when he actually had to try and cry and show some emotion other than hatred, disdain, or anger. At that point he lost me; then the frogs happened and the whole movie lost me.

[Rabrrrrrr]

53. He's one of the worst, most over-rated POS in the industry

He's utter crap.

He works in cliches, and that's pretty much it. I found Last Samurai unwtachable, though I forced myself to get all the way through it because the other actors were good. But the story was awful, and Cruise's "acting" was the same shit-level garbage he's always given us.

When I'm president, I promise - for the good of humanity's artistic consciousness - to make it illegal for Tom Cruise to ever act in anything again.

He only gets roles because the producers know that he's an automatic money-maker; that they can practically print money with him in a picture, because gajillions of dweebs are gonna go see whatever POS he's in.